Bananas: History, How They Grow, Nutritional
Value
By Karon Brandt
History. Bananas were not available in the
US before 1870. At that time,
coincidentally, two men came from different
countries and brought the amazing fruit back
to America.
In 1870, A Massachusetts sea captain,
Lorenzo Dow Baker, brought the fruit back
from Jamaica to NJ in his schooner and sold
them to merchants for $2 per bunch.
A young man from Brooklyn, NY came back from
building a railroad in Costa Rica. Minor
Keith planted bananas along the track. When
the project was completed, bananas were
shipped by train to US ports.
Within 10 years, both men joined a Boston
businessman, Andrew Preston, to begin the
“Boston Fruit Company,” which became the
“United Fruit Company” in 1899.
People had to be taught how to eat and
prepare the new food. The “Domestic
Cyclopaedia of Practical Information” was
published. Instructions directed that
bananas could be “eaten raw, either alone or
cut in slices with sugar and cream, or wine
and orange juice. They are also roasted,
fried or boiled, and are made into fritters,
preserves, and marmalades.”
In the US, besides oranges, bananas were the
only fruit that consumers could find in
smaller markets during winter time. They
became quite a valued resource.
But they were still an exotic food to some
people in other places in the 1930’s. A
northern warlord, Wu Chuseng, was invited to
a banquet in Peking where bananas were
served. He ate one whole. His host peeled a
banana to show him how to eat one correctly.
To save face, Wu took another and said, “I
always eat them like this,” and he ate
another unpeeled banana. (Innvista.com/health)
Banana “trees”
A banana tree looks somewhat like a palm
tree, and fruit bananas are actually
considered perennial herbs. Banana trees
grow to a height of 15 to 30 feet (some
species reach 40 feet) in about 3 months.
Clusters are called “hands,” and each
contains 10 to 20 “fingers.” There can be
200 fingers on a tree and each bunch weighs
between 80 to 125 pounds. It takes two men
to harvest them. One uses a machete and the
other catches the bunch on his back.
There are about 300 species of bananas, but
only about 20 are commercially cultivated.
Major exporters – backed by the major food
companies, like Del Monte, Dole and
Chiquita, which own land there — are
Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Honduras.
Bananas still continue to ripen after
they’re picked. Green bananas can be ripened
quicker by placing them in a brown bag,
where they will release ethylene gas; by
adding an apple, the process will be even
quicker. If bananas have a greenish-gray
appearance, they were refrigerated before
being ripe, and they will not ripen properly
even by bringing them back to room
temperature. Unripened bananas will have an
astringent taste and can be difficult to
digest.
Once ripe, bananas can be stored in the
refrigerator, but the skins will turn black.
Then they can be kept for up to two weeks,
and the fruits will taste sweet, as
expected.
Nutritional benefits:
A large banana (9″ long) contains 140
calories along with 602 mg. of potassium, 2
g. protein, 4 g. of fiber, and 2 mg. of
sodium.
The banana is a top choice for vitamins and
minerals, with 123 I.U. of Vitamin A.
Multiple B vitamins are offered in the form
of .07 mg of thiamine; .15 mg. of
riboflavin; .82 mg. of niacin; .88 mg. of B6
and 29 mcg. of folic acid. There are also
13.8 mg. of Vitamin C; 9.2 mg. of calcium;
44.1 mg. of magnesium; with trace amounts of
iron and zinc. (http://www.banana.com/nutritional.html)
Some foods made with bananas:
India makes banana concoctions spiced and
sweetened with honey, and their people also
drink a cooling beverage of yogurt and
banana.
In the Caribbean, people make banana
fritters flavored with rum. They also eat
chunks of bananas dipped in flour and then
dipped into a rich batter, which are deep
fried in hot oil and then sprinkled with
powdered sugar.
The American banana split became popular in
the 1920’s. In 1904, in PA, the split was
made by slicing bananas length-wise, adding
a couple scoops of ice cream between them,
and topping each with strawberry or
chocolate sauces, and adding the traditional
maraschino cherry on top. (Recipes by
http://www.banana.com)
Medicinal Uses of Bananas:
These range from helping with “Anemia” to
“Warts.”
Bananas seem to stimulate production of
hemoglobin in the blood and help anemic
people.
Blood pressure. Bananas are high in
potassium and low in salt. The U.S. FDA
allows the industry to make claims about
bananas ability to reduce risk for blood
pressure and stroke.
Constipation. Bananas are high in fiber and
help some people avoid the use of laxatives.
Depression. Bananas contain tryptophan,
which converts to serotonin, which improves
mood.
Hangovers. Bananas help calm the stomach.
Add some honey, and the combination builds
up depleted sugar levels and re-hydrates the
body.
Heartburn. Bananas have a natural antacid
effect, which may also help in “morning
sickness.”
Mosquito bites. The inside skins can reduce
swelling and irritation.
PMS and SAD (seasonal affect disorder). B6
helps regulate blood glucose levels and the
tryptophan ingredient probably helps moods.
Smoking. The vitamin levels in bananas,
along with the potassium and magnesium, seem
to help with nicotine withdrawal.
Stress, Strokes, and Ulcers: Bananas seem to
help lower metabolic levels, lower the
metabolic rate, and reduce hyperacidity,
respectively.
Warts. As an alternative cure for warts,
some people swear by banana skins. Place the
yellow side out and tape to the skin with
surgical tape.
According to the Dole manufacturing company,
“Banana consumption has also been linked to
lower risk of leukemia, colorectal and
kidney cancer.” Further, they tout that
bananas “contain resistant starch and
prebiotic fiber, two compounds that can aid
in weight loss” and help avoid unwanted
weight gain. (www.dolenutrition.com/Facts.)
Food Warning:
As healthy as they are, some people with
latex allergies also experience reactions to
bananas (and plaintains, among others),
which contain substances called chitnases.
Bananas have come a long way since the
beginning of time. In fact, according to
East Indian legend, the banana was the fruit
referred to in paradise as coming from the
“Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.” The
Indians theorize that Adam used a banana
leaf, not a fig leaf, to cover himself.
Obviously, bananas are one of our most
amazing, readily-available, and affordable
fruits.
Don’t overlook adding these yellow wonders
to your fruit bowl.
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